New markets are in the eco-bag as green group looks to expand

The Sheffield-based sustainable bag manufacturer, Bag It Don’t Bin It (BIDBI), has printed eco-bags for clients including Waterstones, Liberty of London, ASOS and House of Fraser.

BIDBI revealed yesterday that the value of its exports has risen by 114 per cent since last year to £124,000.

There has been strong growth in mature markets such as Japan, the US and Canada.

BIDBI, which has 20 staff and a £1.5m turnover, recently launched its own-brand bag label, Talented Totes, which has opened up new markets for the business.

Julia Gash, BIDBI chief executive, said “Being heavily reliant on a home market, I recognised a potential vulnerability for BIDBI, which could curtail its growth.

“After winning a place in a national business competition to explore opportunities in the US I saw that there was a whole world out there for BIDBI.

“I believed that the quickest route to market was to develop our own brand label of ethically focused canvas bags, bringing together emerging designers from Britain.

“Talented Totes was born and is now stocked by department stores and destination boutiques worldwide including Fenwick and Joy in the UK.”

Ms Gash signed up to the UKTI Passport for Growth training programme to improve her export knowledge.

She also commissioned a report to help connect her to key Japanese distributors and retail- ers.

As a result, more than £60,000 of business has been generated from Japan.

Talented Totes is stocked in high-end department stores and designer shops around the world.

The brand was included in a fashion show at Hankyu Department Store, in Japan, representing the best of British design.

Significant investment from Santander Corporate Banking has helped the company to expand its manufacturing capabilities, and explore international market opportunities.

Talented Totes is also focusing on finding new markets for the brand in South Korea, Hong Kong and the UAE.